The research found that male chimps were more likely to sway along to music for longer than their female counterparts.

Chimpanzees like to clap their hands, tap their feet and sway along to music, with males being the more enthusiastic dancers, according to a new study.

It is hoped that a greater understanding of the predisposition of these great apes to music could shed light on how humans came to appreciate melodies.

The research by Japan's Kyoto University looked at seven chimps who were exposed to six two-minute piano compositions for six days.

It found they had a definite sense of rhythm and while while the music was being played, they swayed their bodies and bobbed their heads and, sometimes, went as far as clapping their hands and tapping their feet.

The team also found that male chimpanzees were more likely to respond to the tunes by being more vocal and swaying rhythmically for longer durations compared with their female counterparts.

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In their paper, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (Pnas), the researchers Dr Yuko Hattori and professor Masaki Tomonaga noted: "Given that humans do not have such a sex difference in musical ability, higher sensitivity to sound in male chimpanzees may have been acquired after chimpanzees diverged from the common ancestor shared with humans.

"This may also be associated with their patriarchal society, where male chimpanzees often collaborate to protect their territory and group members."